May 20, 2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup was expected to deliver a massive tourism windfall to the United States, but with just weeks to go before kickoff, hotel operators are warning that the promised boom may fail to materialise.
A new report by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) found that bookings are significantly below expectations in nearly every host city, raising concerns that the tournament’s economic impact could fall far short of forecasts.
The AHLA said the weak reservations do not align with FIFA’s announcement that more than five million tickets have been sold and warned that “the anticipated economic lift may fall short.”
The association, which represents more than 32,000 properties and over 80 percent of franchised hotels in the United States, blamed FIFA for reserving far more hotel rooms than it ultimately needed.
